Wells School
The first school opened in Wells in 1870 on the present school site. Clark W. Thompson, the founder of Wells, gave the land to the town for one dollar. The block on which the school was built, was presented to the district April 16, 1883, and the independent school district founded in 1886. By 1889, the school was so crowded that a room had to be rented for a class taught by Miss Lillian Taylor. According to the Wells Mirror, the early Wells High School graduates were Zady Raymond and Wallace Hines. A new building was constructed in 1890 at a cost of $5,892. F. Kinney drew up the plans for the building which was later to become the annex. The first graduating class was in 1890, with Rose Eaton, Claude Southwick and Jessie Nye. In 1896, a large building was constructed, containing two large rooms on the northwest corner of ground at a cost of about $1,200. On January 14, 1899, it was decided to build a 14 room school building at an estimated cost of $23,000. On January 30, 1899, bonds to the amount of $23,000 were voted on by a margin of 212 for and nine against. Bonds were sold to Minneapolis Sinking Fund Co. at 47 with a premium of $400. Architect F. D. Orff drew up the plans. On April 4, 1899, the contract for the new school was let. The old high school building was demolished and a completely new one was constructed at a cost of $29,725. it was used for 31 years. In 1930, it was found that the Wells School needed more rooms, and the voters passed a school bond to construct a new school. Plans for the building were in the state of completion when, on December 9, 1932, fire destroyed the old main building and all of its contents. New temporary quarters were found all around town. The new addition was saved by the firemen. The new building was constructed by Schwartz Construction Company of Rochester. The north part of the building was completed in May of 1933 at a total cost of a little more than $162,664, which included all new text books and supplies. In the fall of 1933, a new three story brick building stood on the same site that had burned; it was dedicated on November 13,1933. In 1953, a new addition was added to the west of the 1933 building, and included a gymnasium, elementary school, and cafeteria for all students and faculty. The senior high addition was built in 1961 on the west side of the gymnasium. And finally, in 1973-4, a building to house more classrooms was added for the senior high school and music department. In 1989 Wells-Easton Public School celebrated its 100th graduating class. Superintendent Gordon Hansen retired. Lowell Mohn, superintendent of Kiester-Bricelyn, became the superintendent of the cooperating districts of Kiester, Bricelyn, Freeborn, and Wells-Easton. In 1991 students of the four districts were combined under the new name of United South Central, with elementary classes K-4 at the school sites in Bricelyn and Wells. Middle School classes 5-8 were at sites in Kiester and Freeborn, and high school classes in the Wells building. July 1, 1993 is the official date of consolidation of four districts comprising UNITED SOUTH CENTRAL SCHOOL.
